Murugan conference will fetch more votes for DMK, RS Bharathi mocks right-wing forces

CHENNAI: Claiming that the emotionally and ideologically charged proclamations made at the Madurai Murugan Conference organised by the saffron brigade would only help the ruling DMK, party leader RS Bharathi said that one conclave would have secured more votes than what could have been achieved by DMK conducting 100 conferences.

Talking to the media at DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi said, “We have left it to the people. When the people are opposed to it, what more do we need to do?”

Bharathi was responding to a specific query regarding politically loaded statements made at the conference, which violated the conditional permission granted by the Madras High Court. The organisers had submitted that the platform would not be used for political purposes.

Answering another query on some communally charged comments that were made at the Madurai Murugan conference, Bharathi said, “We need not exaggerate it. People have boycotted the event. In a single conference, they have secured us more votes than we could have garnered by conducting 100 conferences.”

Asked about the justification of the saffron groups, wondering how a single video on alleged insults aired about Dravidian icons would affect the ideology, the DMK organising secretary said, “Everyone with self-respect is condemning it. Only those with esteem will feel offended. One word or a thousand words, if it is emotional, it will impact people.”

Bharathi made the statements a day after he launched verbal volleys at the AIADMK, saying that the principal opposition party had dissolved itself in Hindutva and submitted itself entirely to the right-wing BJP.